Page 1 of Dirty Ruck

Chapter One

Chelsea

The roarof blood rushing through my ears was loud and rapid.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Underneath me the ground was cold and hard. I lay with my arm over Sadie, my head down, eyes closed.

I waited for the second shot to come. Braced myself for it.

Gradually, the pounding receded, the sound of my heartbeat replaced by shouting. Then the gradual realisation a second shot might not come.

"Sadie?" I opened my eyes and looked into her face.

She stared back at me, unmoving.

Shit.

She was… My heart started to sink. Not Sadie. She couldn't be gone.

Nonononono.

A moan slipped from between her lips. She blinked and grimaced. "I'm okay. I think."

Thank fuck.

"But the blood?" I saw it right before we hit the ground. Hadn’t I?

We were enjoying coffee and a chat, then the gun shot rang out. I'd dragged us both to the ground, hitting hard, but shielded somewhat by the heavy table.

"My shoulder hurts like a bitch," she groaned.

I raised my head and glanced around, before looking back at her. Her pale blue mohair jumper was flecked with blood. Everywhere but her shoulder, which was saturated.

Torn wool surrounded a wound that was little more than a nasty graze.

Thank fuck. Again.

"It's not too bad," I said. "You got lucky. We need to get you out of here and fix you up."

I got luckier. If she hadn't leaned forward when she did, I would have been the one with the bullet hole. Right through my heart. I tried not to think about it too hard. If I did, I might freak the fuck out.

"Are you two okay?" One of the café staff knelt beside us, expression concerned, gaze darting left and right.

"We're fine." I pushed myself up until I was sitting and grabbed a clean napkin from the table to press against Sadie's wound. "Did?—"

Before I could say more, Frost and Dallas pushed through the gathered crowds.

"Chelsea!" Frost's eyes were wide with fear and worry as he elbowed through to get to us.

"We're fine," I said. "How did you…"

"We weren't far away." Dallas crouched beside us. "Ramsey and Jay went after the asshole."